Each month, more than one billion people use Facebook Messenger to call, video chat, or text with friends. But increasingly, Messenger is emerging as a viable platform for direct customer service and engagement.
Code.org using AnswerBot, AnswerDash's chatbot that provides 24/7 customer service.
Many companies, including Zulily, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and Hyatt respond to customer inquires through Facebook Messenger. Unfortunately, the process often has a long turnaround time. Send a message to one of these companies, and you may not hear back for hours or even days. AAA Washington responds to its members through Facebook Messenger, but only during the week, between the hours of 9:30am and 5pm. When we messaged AAA, it took seven days for AAA to respond - Seven days! - Not so good if you are stranded on the road.
Other companies are embracing a more tech-savvy method of communication, one that allows them to respond to customer instantly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During Facebook’s F8 conference in April 2016, Mark Zuckerberg introduced bots on Facebook Messenger, giving businesses the ability to offer automated customer service, support, and sales through the platform.
Since then, many companies have taken the social network up on its offering. In fact, there are more than 33,000 bots on Facebook Messenger today.
Here are six different companies using Facebook Messenger bots to provide instant self-service for their customers.
Burberry
The British luxury fashion retailer uses Facebook Messenger to facilitate a guided e-commerce experience. Shoppers can ask for recommendations, check prices, and get information about individual items. If a customer wants a more personalized experience, they can ask to speak to a human representative, but it may not be necessary. Burberry’s Facebook Messenger bot can handle the vast majority of a customer’s journey. And when it comes time to checkout, Burberry’s bot provides a direct link to its website for payment and shipping information.
Code.org
The non-profit focuses on encouraging K-12 students to learn computer science in the classroom. It doesn’t have customers in the traditional sense, but still fields inquiries from educators and students regularly. Using AnswerDash’s AnswerBot for Facebook Messenger, Code.org automatically and instantly responds to common user questions. The non-profit was able to implement AnswerBot in only a day, as AnswerDash’s technology leveraged Code.org’s existing database. AnswerBot frees Code.org’s staff to work on more crucial tasks, but if a user submits a question the bot doesn’t know the answer to, they’re prompted to start chatting with a member of Code.org’s support team.
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Kayak
The popular travel aggregator offers its services through a Facebook Messenger bot. Travelers can check the price of flights, look for rental cars and hotels, and even get vacation recommendations. Kayak’s bot isn’t offering anything that its website can’t already do, but on a mobile device with limited screen real estate, many may find it to be a superior interface for booking their next vacation.
PeoplePerHour
The freelancer marketplace platform expert uses AnswerDash's AnswerBot Solution for its Facebook Messenger bot. Send PeoplePerHour a message, and you'll be prompted to inquire about its business. PeoplePerHour's bot gives users a carrousel of common questions they can pick from, rather than simply entering a question and waiting for a response from an agent. PeoplePerHour's bot can respond to many common questions, such as "How do I know my money is secure?" and "What is Escrow and how does it work?", as well as give helpful answers regarding matters of support -- all without contacting a support rep.
PipelineDeals
PipelineDeals makes easy-to-use CRM software, with an emphasis on providing reliable customer support. Customers can contact them through their website and over the phone, but the quickest way to reach them may be through their Facebook Messenger bot. Using AnswerDash’s AnswerBot solution, PipeLineDeals’ Facebook Messenger bot can tell you all about its product, how to implement it, and what it can do.
Through their use of bots, these companies are delivering superior customer service over an increasingly popular line of communication. As Facebook Messenger continues to emerge as a popular way for businesses to connect with their customers, companies should consider implementing Facebook Messenger bots to improve their support and level of customer service.
Looking Forward with AnswerBot
With AnswerBot, businesses can easily and quickly launch a responsive and reliable chatbot for Facebook Messenger. Unlike other chatbots, AnswerBot delivers visible and accessible content in its contextual answers. Therefore, customers can get their frequent and common questions answered easily and instantly, while businesses can focus on serving their customers with higher value inquiries across other channels.
AnswerBot is simple and affordable to implement. You can launch in less than a day. To start a free chatbot trial on your Facebook Messenger channel, check out answerdash.com/freebot.